Just The Way You Are
by Neellok
Summary: Five Avengers who thought of Darcy as a beloved sister, and one who wanted to marry her.


**Title:** Five Avengers who thought of Darcy as a beloved sister, and one who wanted to marry her

**Pairing:** Bruce Banner/Darcy Lewis

* * *

1.

"Hey, Darcy, shouldn't you be eating, or collapsed from exhaustion right now?" Tony Stark asked as he strolled over to where she was standing. "You were kidnapped for, like, three days." He pointedly ignored the numerous cameras and reporters that were watching their interaction.

Darcy Lewis rolled her eyes at his antics. "It wasn't even three hours, Tony. You guys rescued me during the villain's monologue about his mommy issues. Remember?"

Tony cackled. "Who would have thought that Cap would turn out to be a good therapist?" Tony slung an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He knew that the reporters wanted to know every dirty detail, but Darcy was off limits.

He allowed Pepper Stark née Potts to handle the PR *** because she hated it when Tony screwed everything up, but if he had it his way, Pepper wouldn't talk to the press either. They were like piranhas. Their viciousness elevated when they smelled secrets and scandal in the water.

"Darcy would _love_ talk to you _amazing_ people, but she has more important things to do than answer pointless questions. So I'll do it for her. Because I'm awesome like that. Yes, she was kidnapped. No, she wasn't harmed. Yes, we saved her—obviously. No, I don't recommend kidnapping her again. The Hulk went a little smash happy during the rescue and decided to make grape jelly out of her captor. No, that wasn't a joke. Look ... he's even in a jar. I suggested starting the brand name 'Suckers' but I was vetoed."

Darcy bit her lip to stop laughing.

"Any other thoughtless questions? Yes, you in the ... is that a white suit? Why are you wearing white after Labor Day? Never mind. What was your question?" Tony loved being the center of attention. He didn't care if people thought he was annoying or rude. He just said whatever was on his mind. If people didn't like him for his sarcasm or brilliant personality that was their fault. Small-minded people were simply entertainment for him to use at his convenience.

"What is your relationship with Darcy Lewis? And how is she connected to the Avengers?" the man in white asked with an embarrassed flush.

Tony stared at him. Did no one read the papers or watch the news? He was married to Pepper! He may have been a playboy in the past, but he would _never_ cheat on Pepper. Tony flashed a dazzling smile at the reporters. "That's for me to know, and for you to never discover." He glanced down at Darcy and grinned at her. He distracted the reporters and made sure that they never noticed when she left.

* * *

2.

"Do you ever wish that life was a cartoon?" Darcy asked Clint as they snuggled on the couch in the shared living room. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it in her mouth. "I mean, look at Scooby-Doo. They run around each episode chasing ghosts and monsters, trying to solve the 'big mystery'. And at the end they find out that the monsters aren't real. They're just masks and tricks."

Clint Barton stared at the TV and refused to look at Darcy. She always had a way of looking at the world that surprised him. Even when they watched Saturday morning cartoons, they viewed everything differently. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose." He would never want life to be a cartoon. It made him remember that one Looney Tunes episode where Bugs Bunny was in control of Daffy Duck. He hadn't been able to watch that episode since Loki. It used to be his favorite.

Darcy frowned at him. "What do you, mean?"

Clint wondered if he should tell her how wrong she was. How could she still view the world as good when she had seen so much death and evil? There had been too many nights in the last few months when he had been plagued by nightmares and visions of Loki. Clint could handle the past missions he'd done for SHIELD. He could handle the blood on his hands. He didn't think that he would ever be able to wipe out all of the red; his hands would never be clean.

"It wasn't ghosts and monsters that committed those crimes, Darcy. They were human," Clint said. "Humans just like to use tricks and masks to justify their actions."

"Hmm. So you guys travel around in the Superhero Machine and fight monsters. See ... maybe life is already a cartoon and we just don't know it!"

Clint snorted. "You're comparing us to the Scooby Gang."

"Yeah, you remind me of Scooby."

"I remind you of a talking, cowardly Great Dane…?" Clint wasn't sure if he should be offended or not.

"In a way. You're always there when we need you. You go away on missions, but you come back. You keep us together. You're our heart. Some might think that it's Fred or Velma that keeps the team together ... but they wouldn't have met if it wouldn't have been for Scooby," Darcy said.

Clint stared at the TV, playing the muted opening song of _Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, _and smiled. The heart of the team, huh? "I suppose that makes you Scrappy-Doo."

Darcy grinned and fist-pumped the air. "Puppy Power!"

* * *

3.

Natasha Romanoff threw another dagger at the target in the training room in Stark Tower (Tony never named it Avengers Tower). Darcy had been trying to corner her for the last two weeks. Natasha finally decided that Darcy had waited long enough to ask her question. She'd been waiting for Darcy to arrive for ten minutes.

Darcy used to be nervous around Natasha. Natasha noticed that she had quickly gotten over it when Darcy realized that like the Hulk, Natasha would only strike if you were a threat. It hadn't taken them long after that to bond.

"So ... are you going to teach me how to become a ninja?" Darcy asked Natasha as she walked into the room. Natasha smiled at Darcy when her friend carefully looked at one of her knives after gaining her permission.

Natasha mentally sighed at the request. She figured Darcy wanted something like that. Ninjas moved silently and always went for the kill. Natasha knew what it felt like to become a ninja and assassin; she knew what bits and pieces were removed in the process and how twisted someone's mind could become. She didn't want to teach Darcy how to become a ninja, because Natasha wasn't willing to kill everything good about her.

Natasha would not become Darcy's red room and steal the rest of her childhood away from her, because even though Darcy would deny it, she was still in many ways a little girl. Natasha took a deep breath and gazed into Darcy's eyes. Darcy was determined and stubborn.

"No."

"Okay. Obviously there's something I'm not getting. Fine. But at least teach me how defend myself! I may be Scrappy Doo, but I need to defend myself," Darcy quickly said after her request was denied.

Natasha snorted. Clint told her about their conversation a while ago. Natasha looked at Darcy's figure. She was gorgeous, but wasn't in peak condition. Darcy had plenty of muscle and strength; she just didn't know how to use it properly in a fight. Darcy was right. She would need more than a taser and puppy power to defend herself. "Okay. But we do it my way and you follow my directions."

"Awesome! Soon I'll be whooping butts and taking names! Hey, if I get really good, do you think Tony will make me a pair of heels like yours?" Darcy had squealed over those shoes for a good ten minutes when Tony gave them to Natasha at the breakfast table a few days ago.

Natasha thought about the high heels Tony had given her that had a hidden compartment filled with a poison coated blade. She didn't know how he fabricated them, but they were her new favorite weapon. They were perfect for undercover work. "I'm sure Tony would love to." After she convinced him, of course.

* * *

4.

"I wish to court Lady Jane," Thor said after Darcy opened up her chamber door. It had taken Thor many moons until he decided that he would temporarily leave Asgard and make a home on Midgard. The All-Father had granted permission when he took his case before his father. Thor knew that to be the best king for his people, he needed to live amongst those that were different. He would need the experience. Midgard also held his Lady Jane.

When Thor realized that he wanted to marry her, with the intent of making her his queen, he studied many tomes and wells of knowledge that Midgard possessed. He asked the Magician in the Ceiling to regale him with information about customs and rituals so he would know everything that was required of him, should he pursue such a relationship.

And it was with that burning knowledge that he had come before the great Lady Darcy to ask for her permission to court his lady love.

"Okay. Shouldn't you be telling Jane this?" Darcy asked as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I intend to when I receive your permission," Thor said. "I have come to understand that to court with the intent to marry, I must first gain approval from my intended's family. Since she considers you her sister ... I must therefore ask you."

"Why don't you just do it like you would on Asgard?" Darcy asked. "I'm sure she'd _love_ that."

Thor bellowed a laugh. "Wish that I could, little sister, but I shant. If I were to court her in the ways of my people, I would need to defeat a two-headed boar and skin it. I would cure the hide and spin the fur into a soft cloak that she would wear. Next, I would forge the mighty tusks into a crown representing her status as my queen."

"Um ... yeah. We don't have two-headed boars. Just normal ones. They probably wouldn't be big enough for a cloak," Darcy said after a few seconds of dumbfounded silence.

"As I thought. I journeyed far and wide looking for the proper materials for Lady Jane. When I remained unsuccessful, I deemed it necessary to discover your customs and court her through the ways of her people."

Darcy grinned at Thor. "Well, I'll be rooting for you. Jane can be kinda slow when it comes to love and matters of the heart. Take it slow and you should be fine."

"I vow on my honor!" Thor beamed. "Thank you, Lady Darcy! You are a splendid sister! I look forward to spending much time trading tales about our misspent youth when we become kin."

* * *

5.

"Are you kidding me? I can't dance, Steve!" Darcy hissed as he led her onto the dance floor.

Steve Rogers smiled at her reassuringly. When the Avengers were first ordered to attend charity functions, Steve always opted out when he found out he'd be forced to dance. The thought of his partner being anyone but Peggy Carter drove home how long he'd slept in the ice. After the fourth time of staying home from the party, Tony forced him to take dance lessons and get over his fear. Steve still hadn't said thank you. Tony wouldn't let him.

"It'll be easy. Just follow my lead." He had noticed that the last guy had been handsy with her, and, though he knew Darcy could take care of herself, she shouldn't have to. That was another thing he hated about this era. Men seemed to think that all women were fair game for a one-night stand and assumed they'd be flattered by their attention.

Steve grinned when she stepped on his toe for the second time since the music started. She was terrible. It was kind of amusing that she was so bad at this considering she was so graceful throughout the day. Maybe that was Natasha's training taking effect.

Darcy stumbled again and cursed. "Steve, this isn't working. I'm going to face-plant in the middle of the dance floor and die! This dress is going to be the death of me! And then Tony will get drunk with grief, and then Bruce will Hulk out, and Natasha will stab someone."

Steve laughed. "It's not that bad. You just need practice." He waited for her to catch her balance when she stumbled again. He ignored the glare since he was used to Tony's and it never had an effect on him. She was too adorable to look angry. He swept her toward the edge of the dance crowd and stopped. "Take off your shoes."

Darcy stared at him in disbelief. "You want me to what?"

"Take off your shoes and then stand on the top of my feet. No one will be able to tell the difference," Steve said with a grin. He used to stand on his mother's feet when he was a child, and they would dance around the house as she hummed.

Darcy tossed her shoes in Tony's direction and winked. "Take care of them for me. I'll need them back later." She lifted up the hem of her dress and stood on his feet. "Okay. I'm ready." Darcy clung tightly to him as they danced toward the center of the room. "You do realize that this looks kinda scandalous."

Steve leaned down and whispered, "I know. Isn't it kinda fun?"

* * *

+1

Darcy waltzed into Bruce Banner's lab with a scowl on her face. She had been looking for her iPod since she woke up. She normally listened to it during the night because it helped her sleep better. When she noticed that it was gone, she freaked. She should have known that her boyfriend had it. "Tony said you took my iPod."

Bruce flushed and held it out to her. "I was going to give it back."

Darcy didn't doubt that Bruce would return it, but she was protective of it. The last time someone took her iPod (Agent Coulson) all of her music had been deleted. She trolled iTunes for two days until she downloaded all of her favorite songs again—and found a few others. "I know. I'm not mad, Bruce. Just annoyed."

She turned it on and looked at her music library. She wanted to make sure that nothing hinky had happened. Bruce was a genius and so was Tony, but they both screwed up sometimes. She frowned when she noticed that six new songs had been uploaded.

"Um, Darcy ... "

"Hold on a sec, Bruce." Darcy opened the new playlist and froze. Her heart leaped into her throat as she read the title of each new song. _I Do (Cherish You), Just the Way You Are, You Are My Song, Everything and More, I'll Always Love You, Marry Me._ Tears pricked her eyes as she glanced up at her boyfriend. They'd been dating for six months and he was a sap. She sniffled and smiled at him. Only Bruce would propose to her through her freaking iPod.

"Yes," Darcy said between kisses. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

* * *

Please leave a review on your way out. It's been a while since I wrote an Avenger's story. What did you think?


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